Carbon Offsets

February 15, 2008

GreenIQ is an online calculator that measures how green a consumer is by taking their carbon emissions and green lifestyle choices into account when calculating their GreenIQ.

Unlike traditional carbon-only calculators, Green IQ also takes an individual's daily eco decisions into account in order to emphasize the impact that small but significant choices make. In other words, you can offset some of your environmental impact created by the big ticket carbon items into account- like transportation and power, by making ecocentric choices in all areas of your life- like recycling, oxygenated faucets, turning off the water when brushing your teeth, and buying locally grown food.

Similar to a restaurant guide, which takes food, decor, and service into account- totaling a restaurant's Rating; Green IQ takes transportation, home and lifestyle into account to calculate the carbon emissions and environmental footprint of each individual- totaling an individual's GreenIQ.

Green IQ’s mission is to show consumers that every little bit counts and that doing your part can and will help in the fight against global warming. GreenIQ is not into making people feel bad about what, for many, are major carbon emitting non-negotiables- like long car commutes and air travel. Instead GreenIQ shows them the areas in their life where change CAN easily be made. The last thing GreenIQ would want to do is make someone feel that their recycling or water conserving is pointless just because their carbon emissions from transportation and electric use are exceptionally high.

Maybe one person's recycling or dedication to being a vegetarian on Tuesdays alone can't make this world a greener place, but thousands, millions of ones will. One drop in a bucket hardly makes a splash. But millions of individual drops make an ocean.

December 27, 2007

For the second year in a row, IBM researchers and consultants have come up with five innovations that are going to change the way we live in the next five years. And we’re funding and working on technologies in our labs right now that will allow these amazing things to happen.

Imagine, if:

- You were able to tell your utility provider how much carbon output you were willing to live with each month and have them alert you if you were close to going over that amount

- Your car could alert you about a traffic jam, suggest an alternate route with less traffic and direct you the entire way

- You were able to know the exact source and make-up of the food products you purchase

- Your cell phone could allow your friends to shop with you, even if they are across the country or the world

As the global population continues to expand, being personally responsible about how much energy we each use continues to grow increasingly important. Imagine receiving a phone call on your cell or office phone saying “It’s your air conditioner, you left me on and nobody’s home, press 1 to turn me off.” As data begins to run through our electrical wires – dishwashers, air conditioners, house lights and more will be connected directly to a "smart" electric grid, and using a cell phone or any Web browser to turn on or off power will be possible.

Smart grid technologies will make it easier for you to manage your personal carbon footprint. Your utility company will provide you with up-to-date reports of electrical usage, so you can easily monitor how much energy you are using and how much you are spending on your electricity. You will also be able to tell your electrical provider how much carbon output you are willing to live with each month and how much money you are willing to spend, and you will receive a warning when you are approaching those levels.

Intelligent grid technologies will also make it easier for utilities to provide you with the option to use green energy sources like wind and solar, and innovations in wind and solar will bring more cost-efficient, green energy options to a utility near you.

Many utilities around the world are already in the early stages of these innovations. IBM is working with companies like Centerpoint Energy in Texas and Oxxio in the Netherlands, that are providing smart meters to their customers. The ZigBee Alliance has developed devices that look like lamp timers and will enable you to turn appliances on and off via the Internet. And IBM and others are developing technologies to make solar equipment more affordable and efficient for consumers to use in the future.

August 29, 2007

By now you have probably heard about carbon offsets. But what exactly are carbon offsets? As this video explains, carbon offsets are projects that reduce or prevent the accumulation of global warming gases in the atmosphere to make up for the gases that you inadvertently put there. This video explains how they work, how they are abused and points out that all carbon offsets are not created equal. But let's not overlook the fact that the best solution is to not to put the global warming gases in the atmosphere in the first place!

May 11, 2007

There is a lot going on in the carbon markets. I met Ricardo Bayon, author of “Voluntary Carbon Markets”, a few weeks ago and had a good conversation about carbon credits (see Recommended Reading for a link to Ricardo’s book). Bottom line is Not All Carbon Offsets Are Created Equal.

As long as the use of fossil fuels keeps climbing — which is happening relentlessly around the world — the emission of greenhouse gases will keep rising. The average American, by several estimates, generates more than 20 tons of carbon dioxide or related gases a year; the average resident of the planet about 4.5 tons.

At this rate, environmentalists say, buying someone else’s squelched emissions is all but insignificant.

“The worst of the carbon-offset programs resemble the Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences back before the Reformation,” said Denis Hayes, the president of the Bullitt Foundation, an environmental grant-making group. “Instead of reducing their carbon footprints, people take private jets and stretch limos, and then think they can buy an indulgence to forgive their sins.”

“This whole game is badly in need of a modern Martin Luther,” Mr. Hayes added.

Some environmental campaigners defend this marketplace as a legitimate, if imperfect, way to support an environmental ethic and political movement, even if the numbers don’t all add up…

“Consumers are always going to gravitate toward a more parsimonious solution that requires less behavioral change,” he said. “We know that new products or ideas are more likely to be adopted if they don’t require us to alter our routines very much.”

But he said there was danger ahead, “if we become trained to substitute dollars for deeds — kind of an ‘I gave at the office’ prescription for the environment.”

“There isn’t a single American household above the poverty line that couldn’t cut their CO2 at least 25 percent in six months through a straightforward series of fairly simple and terrifically cost-effective measures,” he said.

March 20, 2007

As I mentioned in a Previous Post, for my birthday my friends Bill and Marie gave me a years worth of carbon offsets. For those of you not familiar with carbon offsets, here is a definition: A carbon offset is a service that tries to reduce the net carbon emissions of individuals or organizations indirectly, through proxies who reduce their emissions and/or increase their absorption of greenhouse gases.[1] A wide variety of offset actions are available; tree planting is the most common. Renewable energy and energy conservation offsets are also popular, including emissions trading credits.

The intended goal of carbon offsets is to combat global warming.[2] The appeal of becoming "carbon neutral" has contributed to the growth of voluntary offsets, which often are a more cost-effective alternative to reducing one's own fossil-fuel consumption. However, carbon offsets are not without controversy, with some environmentalists and economists questioning the overall benefits of the practice.

There are many companies and organizations offering carbon offsets, but all carbon offsets are not created equal. This WSJ article talks about how carbon offsets work and mentions a few of the players. My friend Rip also sent me a link to a report on carbon offset providers. So by all means, buy carbon offsets or give them as a gift, but do a little homework first to make sure you are spending your money wisely! Stay tuned for more!

March 06, 2007

I recently celebrated a birthday and received to very unique gifts. One was from my friends Bill and Marie who gave me a years worth of carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org. What are carbon offsets? Carbon dioxide emissions globally are causing the Earth’s climate to change and warm, which will have catastrophic results if we do not act to reduce them. Carbon dioxide emissions are about 40% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution and at their highest levels in recorded history, covering over 650,000 years. And the effects of climate change can be seen now. Temperatures are already increasing, glaciers are receding at unprecedented speeds, whole chunks of the Antarctic ice shelf are breaking off, warmer seasons are becoming longer, and storms are becoming more severe and causing more and more damage. Offsetting your carbon (or climate) footprint allows you to become part of the solution to climate change by supporting the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions equal to your carbon footprint. So thank you Bill and Marie. I will do my best to make my carbon offsets last longer than a year! To learn more, see www.carbonfund.org.

The other gift came in the form of a compliment. My friend Sean B., who is a fellow car enthusiast, told me that my newsletter/blog had prompted him to do some thinking about his car. Sean drove an E55 Mercedes, a very nice and fast car. However, Sean really didn’t get enjoy the 400+ horsepower shuttling his girls to school or himself to work so he decided to sell it and get a Toyota Camry hybrid. Sean has no regrets and is thoroughly enjoying his new hybrid - and making a lot fewer stops at his local Chevron station. Thank you!